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Fish, Meal soups and plant based

Herb crusted pollock with pea mash

Herb crusted pollock with pea mash is a fish dish for 4 people, ready in 40 minutes, rated easy, for about €3.30 per person. The trick is a breadcrumb mix blended with parsley and chives, stuck onto the fish with a thin layer of mustard, which forms a green crispy crust in the oven.

A pollock fillet under a crunchy herb crust with a pea mash as green as spring, sound good to you?

Herb crusted pollock with pea mash
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.30
Calories per person
490 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer
The kids
They generally like it

Under the herb breadcrumb crust, the pollock fillet stays moist and flakes apart easily. The thin layer of mustard brushed on before the crumb acts as glue between the fish and the crust, it adds just enough edge without really tasting of mustard. The pea mash, crushed with a fork with butter and warm milk, brings a bright color and a texture that keeps some bite, far from a smooth pasty puree.

This is a weeknight recipe, since it comes together in 40 minutes without much hands on time, while the potatoes and peas cook together in the same pot. Kids tend to like it because the fish has no bones to pick through and the crunchy crust makes them forget there's green on the plate. Mon Chou suggests it for spring or summer, when fresh peas start showing up, though frozen peas work perfectly well all year round.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Pollock fillets 600 g

Frozen foods

  • Frozen peas 500 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 400 g
  • Parsley 6 sprigs
  • Chives 6 sprigs

Pantry

  • Breadcrumbsoften in the pantry 60 g
  • Mustardoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Butter 60 g
  • Milk 10 cl

Allergens Fish, Gluten, Lactose, Mustard

The step by step recipe

  1. Peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes and cook them in salted water, adding the peas for the last five minutes. 18 min

    Drop the peas in only at the end of cooking, they keep their bright green color.

  2. Blend the breadcrumbs with the parsley, chives, a tablespoon of oil, salt and pepper to get a fragrant green crumb.

    Use slightly stale bread instead of store bought breadcrumbs, the crust turns out more rustic.

  3. Lay the fillets on a baking sheet, brush them with a thin layer of mustard and cover with the herb crumb, pressing lightly.

    The mustard acts as glue and seasons the fish without really standing out.

  4. Bake at 200°C until the crust is golden and the fish flakes with a fork. 12 min

    If the fillets are very thin, cut the time to eight minutes so they stay juicy.

  5. Drain the vegetables, mash them with the butter and warm milk, adjust the salt and serve with the fillets.

    Mash with a fork rather than a blender, the mash keeps some character and doesn't turn gluey.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pat the pollock fillets dry with paper towels before brushing on the mustard, the crumb sticks better to a dry surface.
  • Pick fillets of even thickness if you can, so they cook through at the same rate in the oven.
  • Warm the milk before stirring it into the mash, it keeps the texture looser than cold milk, which tends to stiffen the butter.

The variations

  • Swap the pollock for cod or hake, two firm white fish that pair just as well with the herb crust.
  • For a vegetarian version, press the same herb crumb onto grilled slices of zucchini or eggplant before baking.
  • For hurried kids, shape the crumb coated fish into small fish sticks instead of whole fillets, they bake faster that way.

What to serve it with

  • A squeeze of fresh lemon on the fish
  • A crisp green side salad
  • A glass of sparkling lemon water

Storage

The fish keeps for 1 day in the fridge in a sealed container, best eaten the next day while the crust still holds up. The pea mash keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge and reheats gently in a saucepan with a splash of milk. The full dish doesn't freeze well, the mash and crust texture would suffer.

Questions about this dish

Can you use frozen fish fillets?

Yes, as long as you thaw them fully and pat them very dry before adding the mustard and crumb. A damp fillet makes the crust slide off during baking.

Can you make the herb crumb ahead of time?

Yes, you can blend the herb breadcrumb the day before and keep it in a sealed container in the fridge. On the day, you just brush the fillets and bake.

Can you use fresh peas instead of frozen?

Yes, if they're in season, just add the shelled fresh peas to the potatoes for the last five minutes of cooking, the same way as frozen ones.

How do you know the fish is cooked without drying it out?

The fillet is done when it flakes easily with a fork at the center. For very thin fillets, cut the cooking time to eight minutes instead of twelve.

How long does it take to make an herb crusted pollock with pea mash?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in an herb crusted pollock with pea mash?

About 490 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does an herb crusted pollock with pea mash cost?

About €3.30 per serving, or €13.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, gluten, lactose, mustard. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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